Our dear Faniry from Madagascar has been diagnosed with idiopathic aplastic anemia, a very rare and life-threatening blood disorder that causes her bone marrow to stop producing new blood cells. She is gravely ill, with a high risk of infections, bleeding, and organ failure.

This is not just a personal crisis for Faniry and her family. The future of an entire local community is now also at stake.

Faniry is not only irreplaceable as a person—she is a key figure in a unique Norwegian-Malagasy educational collaboration in Madagascar, as the future leader of Voantsinapy. In Norwegian, the school is called Sennepsfrøskolen (the Mustard Seed School), and since 1994, it has provided tens of thousands of children living in extreme poverty with free education and food security.

Faniry’s symptoms began in the spring of 2023. She had just completed her second master’s degree in English and education when she suddenly developed high blood pressure, extreme fatigue, dizziness, and head and neck pain. She, who used to run up the stairs two steps at a time, now struggled to climb even one flight and fainted frequently.

Blood tests showed dangerously low levels of both red and white blood cells, and platelets.

Over the past 12 months, she has been bounced around the Malagasy healthcare system. She has visited every possible hospital and clinic in Madagascar, but doctors were unable to give her a diagnosis. She received multiple conflicting diagnoses and treatments ranging from multivitamins, homeopathy, malaria medication, and reflexology to bilharzia treatment, along with countless risky blood transfusions—none of which helped.

Diagnosis confirmed – but treatment not available in her home country

In February 2025, supporters of the Mustard Seed School in Norway funded a medical trip to the French island of La Réunion, Madagascar’s neighbor, hoping that examinations at a European hospital might offer answers.

There, specialists finally diagnosed her with idiopathic aplastic anemia. Her case is now being discussed at the national level in Paris to recommend further treatment. What we do know is that she will need one of two possible treatments for this disease: immunosuppressive therapy or a bone marrow transplant—as soon as possible, ideally within two months.

Unfortunately, this treatment is not available in low-income countries like Madagascar. We are currently working to get her admitted to a hospital in India, where treatment is cheaper than in Europe—but still far more expensive than what her family (who are selling belongings and property to help) and the Mustard Seed School Foundation (whose chartered mission is to fund the school’s operations) can afford.

Now that Faniry’s own bone marrow is failing, the school’s backbone is also at risk.

With her language skills and unique ability to build and nurture relationships, she is responsible for communication with and follow-up of international sponsors and partners.

As the daughter of the current principal and granddaughter of the school’s founder, she is officially designated as the school’s next leader in the school’s legal will—signed by the board, registered in court, and deposited with a notary, in line with Malagasy tradition. She knows the school’s values and mission from the inside and has the trust of both the local community and the foundation.

In one of the world’s poorest and most corrupt countries, it is extremely difficult to find trustworthy and competent leaders for schools that depend on external support. If Faniry doesn’t survive, we will not only lose an exceptional person—we will also lose the cornerstone of the school’s future leadership and stability.

Faniry is also Madagascar’s representative for the World Peace Initiative – Peace Revolution Africa, an international network that promotes peacebuilding and personal development. She uses this role to inspire young leadership candidates to take responsibility for their own lives and communities—just as she has done herself.

Without treatment, we may lose an extraordinary young leader—not just for a school, but for an entire generation of children who would otherwise have no access to education.

Faniry has dedicated her life to helping others. Now we hope she can receive help in return.

Would you like to help save the life of someone who wants to give tens of thousands of children a better future?

We have already raised $12,500 toward this cause. Our goal is to raise an additional $50,000 through this fundraiser to ensure Faniry receives the life-saving treatment she needs. We are in touch with doctors at the University Hospital in Stavanger, the University Hospital in La Réunion, and the Fortis Institute in India to evaluate the two possible treatment options: immunosuppressive therapy or a bone marrow transplant from a sibling. Both require her to stay in the hospital for at least three months with a caregiver, and afterward, she will need two years of medication and medical follow-up.

We will post updates along the way.

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